- Video
-
Club Roar
Captured a great grassroots sporting moment? We want to see it!Content Collections
The Roar Community
- Join
- Login
While the Cricket World Cup is about to start, no doubt the administrators at Cricket Australia HQ are already contemplating their fixtures for the 2015-16 season.
A big decision needs to be made.
Next Summer sees New Zealand touring for three Tests in November/December and the West Indies here for three Tests in December/January, according to the ICC Future Tour Programme.
The Kiwis have agreed to play Australia in the inaugural Day/Night Test match, likely to be at Adelaide or Hobart.
The order of these series’ needs to be changed. Frankly , the West Indies don’t deserve the prime spot of the Boxing Day and New Year’s Tests.
Their best batsman will be 41-years-old, their captain is a virtually unknown bowling all-rounder (can you name him?) and Chris Gayle is always only a 50 per cent chance to turn up in between Twenty20 and social appearances.
And what would the ramifications be if the players went on strike and went home without playing, like they did in India last year?
The Windies aren’t worth the risk. Make the move now and schedule them earlier. Make the Kiwis the main act.
They could well be returning to Australia as reigning World Cup champions. The Day/Night Test could still be played as the opening Test of the series.
Surely in Adelaide, the South Australians would no doubt pack out the Adelaide Oval for the historic occasion, followed by good crowds at the MCG and SCG Tests. The Windies would still play in Brisbane, Perth and Hobart.
The Blackcaps have arguably their best team since the mid 1980s. While the team superbly captained by Stephen Fleming in 2001-02 took it right up to Australia in the drawn series, and the Ross Taylor-led team won the second and final Test at Hobart in 2011, this looks the best New Zealand team to challenge Australia since the Richard Hadlee/Martin Crowe era.
Their batting stars in Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson match up well against our Dave Warner, Michael Clarke and Steve Smith.
Young opener Tom Latham shows plenty of promise. Their all-rounders Corey Anderson and Jimmy Neesham have both impressed at Test level.
Watling has probably been the best performed wicket – keeper/batsman in Test cricket for the past 12 months.
Mark Craig is a reliable, orthodox off-spinner who has had some outstanding performances at Test level. He is very much like Nathan Lyon.
And with Boult, Southee, Bracewell, Wagner and Milne, there is more depth in Kiwi fast bowling ranks than at most stages of their history.
This will be a marquee series that should be played at the marquee time. The decline of the West Indies is universally lamented and sadly there seems no light at the end of the tunnel.
The Kiwis last played a Test at the MCG in 1987/88, when Mike Whitney famously blocked out an over from Richard Hadlee to draw the Test.
They deserve the chance, particularly with the team they are putting out now, the play on Boxing Day at the ‘G once again.
The only stumbling block may come in the form of a South Africa-like decision to keep Boxing Day for themselves and play at home.
And given the recent resurgence in Test match crowds in the land of the long white cloud, especially in the Xmas holiday period, New Zealand may be reluctant to play in Australia at this time.
Let’s hope it happens. Both countries have everything to gain from a more higher profile Trans-Tasman series.
Build your own fantasy cricket team and put it to the test with Draftstars daily fantasy competitions. Pick your match, pick your team and watch the points roll in to take out cash prizes on each match. What are you really gambling with? Set a deposit limit.